Turkey's Erdogan congratulates Maduro over Venezuelan poll

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkish officials say President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has congratulated Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro on winning Sunday's presidential election.

Officials from Erdogan's office said the Turkish leader called Maduro late on Tuesday, making Turkey one of the few countries to recognize the result of the Venezuelan election, which the United States has called a "sham."

Maduro's leading challenger has questioned the legitimacy of the vote and called for new balloting. A grouping of 14 countries from the Americas has refused to recognize the result of the disputed election and urged diplomatic and financial action in response.

The Turkish officials said that during the telephone conversation, Maduro and Erdogan "emphasized their determination to develop ties in all areas."

The officials provided the information on condition of anonymity in line with government rules.